One of the Bengal tigers rescued during the Mexico State Attorney’s Office operation. FGJEM
There are the photos. A white lion lying quietly in the sun, an African tiger sleeping in the shade of his cage and a white fox roaming the grounds. During a search of a property in Huixquilucan, Mexico, authorities found 47 live animals, seven stuffed exotic animals and several secret sales points for the huachicoleo, the illegal extraction of fuel. Police have arrested eight people and property has been secured pending determination of what they will do with the animals.
Upon entering the property, agents found 25 exotic animals. In addition to the lion and the tiger, “among other things” there were two pumas, a royal tiger, a deer, a gray fox, a coyote, an owl and several eagles, the prosecutor added in their report. There were 7 stuffed animals in the house. One of the photos shows a stag in an awkward position, with its hind legs in the air as if in full flight from the stuffed fox behind it.
Initial indications are that the detainees sold stolen petrol to fund such a private zoo. The property had everything necessary to carry out this activity: a container with 14,000 liters of diesel, buses, machines, pipes, motorcycles and an underground installation that could possibly lead to a stealthy ingestion of hydrocarbons. The public prosecutor’s office also reports that a possible secret faucet for drawing water was found.
Exotic animal regulations in Mexico vary by animal. The Minister for Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) believes that tigers cannot be walked or considered pets as they are predators and are regulated by the General Wildlife Act. Despite this, Mexican laws allow you to keep an exotic animal as long as it is not considered endangered, such as B. the scarlet macaw or the howler monkey. In addition, the papers must be in order and the animal must be treated with dignity and respect.
Authorities have not reported the status of the animals found on the property. The images released by the prosecutor’s office appear to show the lions and tigers in good condition. Although they have not left the enclosure in which they have long been confined. The laws allow these animals to be kept but not walked with them as they are considered too dangerous for the general population. Although thanks to social networks, getting them is becoming easier and easier.
In addition to the most remote areas of some street markets where forbidden animals have always been found, Facebook has a large exotic species market. Just a few clicks on the computer you can find Facebook groups called “Sales of wild animals”, “Exotic animals CDMX [Ciudad de México]’, as this newspaper noted in a recent report. There you can find everything from jaguars, an endangered species, to hawks, Russian tortoises and chameleons. If the user wishes, they can have one of the weirdest owls at their doorstep within a few days. And all without signing a single piece of paper.
The responsibility for purchasing this type of exotic animal goes beyond the seller. It also affects those who buy this animal illegally, especially when it is in danger of extinction. Then he could commit a crime as an “accomplice in international trade” with animal species prohibited under Mexican law, according to Semarnat. Even if the buyer gets his exotic animal with all the papers, the responsibility does not end there. If the horse does not receive the necessary care, it can be fined up to 75,000 UMA, about 7.2 million pesos. Owning protected animals is punishable by up to nine years in prison.
The future of the rescued animals is uncertain. It depends on his origin. Semarnat takes some of them to authorized centers for their care, while others, wild animals of national origin, try to return them to their natural habitat. According to the Secretariat, the animals most commonly trafficked in Mexico are the Yellow-capped Parakeet, Scarlet and Green Macaws, Yellow-breasted Toucan, Spider Monkey and Howler Monkey, among many others.
Mexico is not only a place with a high demand for illegal pets, but also an important link in the international pet trade chain. “It is one of the most biodiverse nations on the planet and has a privileged geographic location,” authorities say. Mexico has fluid communications with several countries that require this type of animal: the United States, Canada, China; and also with those who have the offer: Guatemala and other Latin American countries.
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